Twelve Fail Safe Ways to Charm Witches
by bonnyanne
Summary: When James Potter finds a special book in Flourish and Blotts, he realizes that there might still be hope for the rocky relationship between him and Lily Evans. And it's all thanks to the Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches.
1. Chapter 1: Gifts

**Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches**

James Potter didn't often make mistakes. And when he did, he usually managed to fix them quite easily. But the mistake he had made regarding Lily Evans seemed to be one huge, unfixable, disastrous mess. And it was his entire fault. He didn't know what he could do to fix it. Until, that is, he found an invaluable book on a display table in Flourish and Blotts. James Potter was not known for his love of reading, but even he could not resist the catchy title, the golden cover…

_**Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches**_

_Chapter 1:_ _Nice gifts can completely change how she feels about you._

It was the typical English summer. Gray and cloudy, and chilly enough for coats. The people hurrying to and fro in the packed London streets had their heads bowed against the wind, and most could be seen carrying an umbrella in case of the all-too-often showers of rain.

James Potter, newly appointed head boy of Hogwarts, Marauder-in-Chief, and the most popular boy currently attending his school, could not be saddened by the dismal weather. His step was cheery and determined; for today was going to be the day when everything changed between him and Lily Evans. Today could not possibly be ruined by anything. He had a new plan.

Watching for the eyes of Muggles, James slipped through the door to the Leaky Cauldron. As his eyes got used to the gloom, he made out a familiar red blur near the back door and a burst of giggling.

What luck, that Lily happened to be here the day he had vowed to live by his new policy!

"Hey, Lily!" He called out. Lily froze.

"What is it, Potter?" She glared at him.

"I wanted to say hi." Most definitely not a lie. He _did_ want to say hi.

"…Hi, then." Lily replied suspiciously.

"I need to tell you something." James informed her after a moment's thought. Then, looking at her face, hastily added: "No, I don't mean- it's got nothing to do with _that_." He watched her closely. Finally she gave in.

"Fine." She said, walking away from her friends to an unoccupied corner. "Make it quick, Potter, I haven't got all day."

James looked her straight in the eye, took a deep breath, and said: "I'm sorry."

Lily did a double take. _"Excuse me?"_ Her eyes were opened wide: she looked like a startled deer.

"I'm sorry for being a prat, for being arrogant, for attacking people for the heck of it, for thinking I was the best, for being a complete arse, for-"

Lily cut across him. "Yeah, and I'm supposed to believe that you actually _mean _that?"

"Lily, I'm telling you the truth. I swear, I-" He cast around for some way to prove it, then remembered something. "And Dumbledore knows I've changed, too."

Lily sneered. "Prove it." She commanded.

James shrugged. He withdrew from his pocket a small, shiny badge. "Why else would he make me _head boy, _then?" Lily turned white, and then snatched at the badge.

She stared at it for a few seconds, and then her shoulders relaxed. "You totally took this from Remus, didn't you?" She accused.

"Nope." James extracted a crumpled sheet of parchment from his pocket and cleared his throat. "Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been appointed Head Boy. Please meet with the Prefects in the Prefects Compartment to discuss the years plan. Your duties will include all prefect duties, as well as some extra duties only carried out by the Head Boy and Girl.

Congratulations,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress."

Lily turned even paler. "Give me that!" She growled.

"Say please!" James reminded her.

"Don't you preach me, James Potter!" Lily succeeded in wresting the paper from James' grip. She read it over quickly. "How could Dumbledore- it's not fair! YOU ALWAYS RUIN EVERYTHING POTTER! I HATE YOU!" Lily shrieked.

James watched her calmly. "What have I done to you today?"

"You- I don't know!"

"Enlighten me on _how exactly _I"ruin everything"."

"I don't-"

"I'm trying to make it up to you, you know. I'm actually being nice! Imagine that." James smiled, and pressed something into her hand.

Lily uncurled her fist and stifled a gasp. She looked down at the floor.

"You know, when someone gives you a gift, it's polite to say thank you." James said conversationally.

"Thank you." Lily replied stiffly. "It's nice, but it's not working. I'd still rather go out with the giant squid than with you."

"Hey!" James exclaimed in mock indignation. "There's nothing wrong with the giant squid! He's a charming fellow, and very good looking!"

A smile twitched at the corners of Lily's mouth, but only briefly

"Anyway," James continued in a businesslike tone. "That was just an apology gift. Nothing more. Well, see you around, Lily."

He stood up and walked across the pub to the back door. James could feel Lily's eyes on the back of his head, and he smiled triumphantly.

Score: James Potter, 1.


	2. Chapter 2: Compliments

Chapter 2: One small compliment can go a long way.

The Hogwarts Express was barely visible through the wreath of smoke that had settled over the crowded platform, and James could just make out the scarlet train only by squinting.

"Hey, Prongs!" Said a voice at his shoulder. It was Sirius Black, his best friend. As always, he was effortlessly handsome, and James felt a twinge of jealousy.

"Hey, Padfoot." James replied, shifting his owls cage to his other arm so he could clap Sirius on the back.

"I've been looking up all sorts of hexes we can use on Snivellus and his Death Eater cronies. There's one, it makes you-"

"Um, Padfoot?"

"Yeah?"

"We might have to cut down a bit on the hexing-random-people thingy this year." James said cautiously, eyeing him for a reaction.

"Why? Have you decided to go all Moony on me or something?"

"Hey!" Called a voice. "I heard that!" James turned to greet his other friend, Remus.

"Sorry, Moony." Sirius apologized sheepishly. He turned back to James. "Or, is it something to do with Little Miss Obey-The-Rules Evans?"

"Sort of." James admitted. "But more 'cuz of _this._" He unpinned the badge from his belt, and handed it to Sirius.

"_Head boy?" _Sirius yelled incredulously, causing people to stare.

"_Head boy?"_ Remus stared at the badge in surprise for a minute, then shook himself. "Good job!"

"Well, now I have to sit with Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater until you two get back." Sirius said grumpily, handing the badge back.

"So," James said, lightly changing the subject. "What was that hex again? Maybe I can use it on Regulus in the prefect's compartment."

"You'll be in detention before we even get to Hogwarts." Remus warned.

"Hah. Not likely." Replied James. "I can make it _educational._"

"How?" Remus asked skeptically.

"_Kids, if there's ever anyone being naughty in the hallway, you can do __**this **__to them!" _James said in the sort of voice his mother talked to small children in.

Sirius laughed. "It's Maculosus Visio." He informed them. "Makes you sprout these huge round warts that pop up all over your face."

Remus frowned. "James, that's not exactly a good way to start your career as Head Boy."

"Relax, I'm not actually going to use it on him. It's just handy to know." James answered, grinning. "Should we get on the train, then?" Sirius and Remus nodded just as a small, mousy boy came pelting up to them, out of breath.

"Hi, Peter."

"Slytherins-" He panted, clutching a stitch in his chest. "-After-me-"

"I'll deal with 'em." Sirius said determinedly, cracking his knuckles.

As he was rolling up his sleeves, a group of Slytherins dashed towards them. Peter trembled and hid behind Sirius.

James and Remus looked at each other. Neither exactly wanted to pick a fight with the Slytherins on the first day of term.

"Look at the time!" Yelped James, looking at his watch. "Me and Remus've got to go. We'll leave it to you, then." They hurried off towards the train, somewhat hindered by their heavy trunks.

"So, where's the prefect compartment?" James asked Remus.

"This way." They dragged their trunks down the empty train aisle.

"You better put on the badge now." Remus said nervously. "Or the Slytherins won't be happy."

James nodded and pinned the badge to his robes.

Remus slid open the compartment door.

"Hi, Remus." Said a voice.

"Oh…" Remus glanced nervously at James. "Hi, er… Lily."

James jumped. "Hi, Lily!" He said cheerily. "I _told_ you I'm head boy!"

"Oh Merlin, really?" Lily said exasperatedly. "Sit!" She commanded him, pointing at the seat furthest away from her.

James grinned. "Oh, I don't know that trick yet. I only know shake paw and roll over. And I'm not allowed on the furniture."

Lily rolled her eyes just as the door opened again and the rest of the prefects entered.

Most froze at the sight of James, but Regulus Black and the Slytherins glared angrily at him.

"Hi." Said James, blinking innocently at them and throwing himself into his seat.

They took their seats, still staring at him. Lily stood up.

"Um, hi, guys." She began. "My name's Lily Evans, for those of you who don't know me, I'm Head Girl this year."

"_What?"_ Exclaimed James, leaping out of his seat.

Lily glanced at him coldly. "And this is James Potter, the Head Boy, who's not allowed on the furniture."

James grinned and sat down again.

"I thought you weren't allowed on the furniture!" Called a fifth year Slytherin.

"It's called a joke." James said pointedly.

"It's not very funny." The boy frowned.

"It's called an _inside joke_." James replied. "What's your name?"

"Caerwyn." Replied the boy smugly. "Caerwyn Elphinstone. Perhaps you have heard of my family?"

James pretended to think. "Nope. Your family must be pretty big lose-"

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts." Lily continued loudly. "You all have been given big responsibility, and it's up to you lot to do your duty." She stared hard at each prefect in turn, then turned to James, handing him a sheaf of parchments. "Potter, could you make yourself useful for once and pass out these schedules?"

James took an extravagant bow. "Whatever your majesty desires."

"My majesty desires you to shut up and pass these papers out." Lily retorted coolly. She faced the listening prefects again. "Right, then… these papers that James is so _skillfully_ passing out are your patrol duty schedules. They'll tell you when you have to patrol where. For example-" She snatched one from James. "August McLeigh is scheduled to patrol the fifth floor corridor at 9 o'clock on Tuesdays. Prefect duties also come with privileges. There's a special bathroom for us on the sixth floor. Password's 'Lavender Bubbles'."

"Quidditch Captains are allowed in there too, so don't yell at 'em if you see 'em." James put in.

"Yes…" Lily agreed. "Anyway, you lot are in charge of your houses now. It's your responsibility to keep them toeing the line, and to make sure they're not staying up all night, _partying_." Lily paused and glared pointedly at James. "New prefects, we welcome you to our ranks, and trust that you will be able to help us. Remember, Prefects can dock points and give detention, but exercise this power with great caution: if the teachers find out you've been abusing your power your prefect status will be revoked. Understood?" Everyone nodded.

Lily glanced at James. "I think that's all for to-"

James stood up. "Any questions?" He added, and Lily nodded, her expression a mix between approval and anger at the fact that James had thought of it first.

"I've got a question." Caerwyn said snidely. "Why are _you_ head boy? You're the worst troublemaker in the school! No one in their right mind would make you prefect. "

"Dumbledore has his reasons." James replied cryptically. "If you want, you could go ask him yourself. I'm sure he wouldn't mind a visit from a cute little snip like y-"

Lily interrupted. "I'm going to call you up by house so you can get some information relating to it. Slytherins first, please."

The Slytherins swarmed up and took the offered parchment.

"Here!' Hissed Lily, shoving some more parchment into James' hands. "You deal with the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs, okay?"

"Hufflepuffs!" Called James. The Hufflepuff prefects stood up. "Here, take these." He pushed the parchment towards them, and called the Ravenclaws up to receive theirs.

"Those parchments have this year's common room passwords on them, so hang on to them." Lily informed them, handing the last one to James.

"Thanks, guys. I'm sure we're going to have a great year." Lily said, and the prefects began filing out of the door.

Remus glanced at James, and correctly interpreting the message in his eyes, set off down the train aisle with Samuel Piper, one of the sixth year Gryffindor prefects.

"Good job." James told Lily. "You're really good at that leader sort of thing."

Lily blinked. "Um… thanks, James." She said in puzzlement.

"Hey, you called me James!" James exclaimed in triumph.

"What?" Snapped Lily. "No I didn't!"

"It's alright, I won't tell anyone." James winked and departed, leaving Lily standing alone, looking very bemused.

Then he stepped back in. "Oh, and I see you're wearing that lily necklace I gave you. Does that mean you like it?"

Lily just stared at him silently.


	3. Chapter 3: Impress her

**To the younger students, the Marauders cut impressive figures, and they knew it. The recent spate of pranks, although they were the prime suspects amongst much of the staff, had not been caused by them. Well, not directly, anyway. It wasn't technically their fault that all the ickles had decided to go and copy them, most likely hoping to replace them next year. And so the four boys told the staff over and over, to no avail. They even tried telling the ickles to stop, but the sneaky brats just smiled innocently and winked "secretly" at each other. And so the number of pranks increased dramatically. In consequence, the prefects were currently having a hellish time, and most were beginning to feel resentment toward Remus and James, who were both part of that "troublesome group of good- for-nothings", as Caerwyn Elphinstone, so eloquently, put it. Of course, Sirius achieved another detention for retaliating, and Caerwyn was promptly sent to the hospital wing with two enormous elephantine ears.**

**To Lily's consternation, she and James were scheduled to patrol the seventh floor corridor at 10 o' clock every Saturday together, and it was the second instance of this when James decided to try the 3****rd**** chapter of his new book.**

Chapter 3: Impress her: say "brave" and "noble" things when you know she's listening.

_Sirius smiled to himself. Sometimes he was just so smart. He even impressed himself sometimes. Actually, a lot of the time. But this new Lily-James-Putting-Together-Plan-Thingy that he had concocted had to be his best yet._

_Whistling merrily, Sirius strolled casually down the deserted, shadowy corridors. He didn't appear to be doing anything suspicious- apart from the fact that it was 12 o' clock at night. Sirius wasn't bothered, though. It was all part of his plan. Scheme, plot, mastermind idea- whatever you wanted to call it. Even Remus would be impressed by this particular plot, and he was a right old goody-two-shoes._

_Sirius frowned slightly when he thought of Remus. Apart from the Werewolf stuff, Sirius was hiding something else about Remus, and he knew that if James knew, the Marauders would fall apart._

_You see, Sirius had once listened in on Lily and Remus talking in an empty classroom. What he had heard had interested him greatly, and when he had interrogated Remus about it later, the poor boy finally spilt the beans. Apparently, in that "little chat", Lily had confessed her love for Remus. Sirius, being a good friend, had decided that it would be better for everyone if James didn't know, and so he zipped his lip and didn't mention it again. Plus, he had a suspicion that Lily was only doing that to make James jealous._

_Ah, speak of the devil! There was James himself, pacing the corridor with his wand tip alight. Sirius stomped down the hallway towards him._

"_Sirius?" James asked. Sirius grinned; James had always been a good actor. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Oh," Replied Sirius mischievously. "I was thinking of sneaking into the kitchens. I'm hungry"_

"_Come on, mate." James said, sighing realistically. "We've got to get our priorities right this year. We can't keep causing trouble."_

"_What?" Sirius asked innocently, hand fluttering to his chest. "Trouble, me? Never!"_

"_Sirius, please. " James said, an edge of command creeping into his voice. "Just go back to bed, all right? I've got to prove Lily and Moo- Remus and all that lot that I'm not really as bad as they think. Listen, if you go now I won't take points off or give you a detention or anything."_

"_Moo-Remus?" Grinned Sirius. "Cool name."_

_He turned around._ _"What's to stop me_ _wandering around all night long?" Sirius couldn't remember, for a split second, what he had to say next. Then he recovered. "Oh, yeah, um… you're not going to turn me in, are you now?"_

_James glared at him and Sirius widened his eyes innocently._

"_If you don't buck up, mate, I'm going to have to do that." James replied sternly._

"_Mmm, sure." Sirius yawned pointedly and scratched his nose. This was easier than he had thought- all he had to do was pretend James was a real prefect. Which he was, of course, but never to Sirius._

"_Sirius! Go to bed already!" James said. "Five points from Gryffindor."_

_Sirius frowned: that hadn't been part of the plan. Oh, well. Five points was a small sacrifice, and they were bound to win the Quidditch world cup again this year, so it didn't make a difference anyway._

"_Fine." Sirius said sulkily, and stalked off toward in the direction of the portrait of the fat lady. "Selfish Lobster." He said to the darkness, but he stayed where he was. Then, reaching into his cloak pocket and drawing out James' invisibility cloak, Sirius concealed himself and crept back to watch James' next actions._

_This hadn't been part of the plan, either, but Sirius was a curious boy. He couldn't help himself._

_Lily's red hair was the only thing Sirius could see from this angle, lit by the glow of James' and her wands. But Sirius had ears, did he not?_

"_I thought you were going to let him go." Said Lily's voice. "Why didn't you?"_

"_Of course I wouldn't." James replied, and Sirius could picture him looking scandalized and hurt. "He was breaking a school rule."_

"_Yeah, sure." Lily said suspiciously. "Like you haven't broken any rules in your life."_

"_Ah, but people change."James observed wisely. "You can never know if someone is going to always remain where they start out."_

_Sirius almost snorted and blew his cover. Those were the exact words Dumbledore had used last year to lecture them after they had blocked up the girl's toilets with Stinksap. Trust James to imitate the headmaster in order to impress a __**girl.**__ Sirius then remembered that he had done far worse things in order to impress a lot of girls, many of whose names he no longer remembered, all of which he had dumped within a week at the most._

"_Are you going to change, Potter?" Asked Lily dryly._

"_We'll see."_

_The two fell silent and continued patrolling. Sirius realized that the chat must be over. Surprisingly, it hadn't ended with Lily pointing out that James had a big head, was arrogant, or any other usual conversational matter between the two._

_Sirius crept back to the Fat Lady, whispered the password, ignored her suspicious look at the fact that no one was there, and slid into one of the comfy chairs by the fire to await James' return._

_All had gone to plan. What's more, all had gone to __**his**__ plan, and that was even better._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Spread the word- have people put you in a good light.

_Sirius snickered as he peered over the heads of the milling first years. Ah, he remembered when he and the marauders had been part of the ickle congregation. They had thought themselves so cool… not that they ever weren't, of course. Ever since the four boys had set foot in Hogwarts, they had been destined to be the rulers of the roost. As Sirius was busy reminiscing, he had a distinct feeling that someone was watching him. He swiveled around with a low growl, hoping to scare the pants off some snotty kid. As it turned out, it was not a snotty kid._

_It was Lily._

"_How did you know I was there?" She asked suspiciously._

_Sirius looked back at her equally suspiciously. "Why __**were **__you there?"_

"_That's not an answer, Black."_

"_That's not an answer, Lily." Sirius replied mischievously, but seeing the stormy look on Lily's face, quickly added: "Oh, I used my… uhm…. __**Canine**__ instincts."_

"_Mmm." Lily replied absentmindedly. For the normally focused and organized person she usually was, the redhead appeared quite distracted._

"_Something bothering you, love?" Sirius asked cheekily._

"_Shut it." Snapped Lily, blushing._

"_Why are you blushing?" Sirius asked in mock concern. "It must be my good looks! Who knew?" He was really pushing it here, but it was too great an opportunity to miss. "HEY! YOU LOT!" He hollered at the first years, making quite a few to scurry away in fright. "LILY FANCIES ME!"_

_Lily rolled her eyes, obviously trying not to laugh. "Sometimes you can be so immature." She said disapprovingly._

"_Anyway…" Sirius said. "Aside from complimenting my handsome charm, I think there was something you wanted to tell me?"_

"_Yes, that is… ask you." Sirius had honestly never seen Lily so nervous. She was twisting her bright red hair (which gave James love sickness, and gave Sirius motion sickness when she walked) and chewing on her lip._

"_Does Potter-"_

"_HOLD UP THERE!" Sirius shouted, causing the rest of the ickles to flee. "You were going to ask if James still fancies you, weren't you?"_

"_What? No!" Lily exclaimed, turning a wonderful color that matched her hair. "Just if Potter has decided on a date-"_

"_OHO!" Interrupted Sirius triumphantly._

"_NO!" Lily yelled, turning even darker red. "HAS POTTER DECIDED ON A __**DAY**__ FOR QUIDDITCH TRYOUTS YET?"_

"_Oh." Sirius replied innocently. "I don't know. Ask him yourself. There he is."  
Lily whirled around._

_Sirius snickered. "That eager to see him, are you?"_

"_Well, if you aren't the most annoying little sneak I have ever had the misfortune to-"_

"_Ah, save it for later." Sirius said, his tone growing suddenly serious. "Listen, I think you should give James a chance. He's a great guy really. You know, when he isn't trying to impress people and show off...and all that."_

_Lily's mouth opened, but she closed it again. "Nothing I've seen in my seven years of knowing him makes me think that." She replied resolutely._

"_Yes, but __**do**__ you know him?" Sirius asked in what he hoped was a mysterious way. "By the way, nice necklace."_

_Lily's hand jumped to her throat, tugging on a lily shaped necklace. Sirius had a slight suspicion as to where that had come from._

**Sorry for the delay in the last two- I also want to address some things.**

**To the anonymous commenter:**

**I'm a bit confused as to what you mean. Lily hates James, so it is natural she should be angry that he is talking to her, and in the small snippets we have seen of Lily and James in their school years, Lily has certainly been irrationally angry at James. However, I do appreciate your feedback, and I tried to make her calmer in this one!**


	5. Chapter 5: Eliminate Opposition

{{Chapter 5 – Eliminate opposition

[Lily's perspective]

Lily Evans sometimes wondered why she was friends with these girls. All they did was gossip, gossip, Sirius this Sirius that. Mary MacDonald, having heard about Lily's previous encounter with the boy, had wasted no time in wringing her completely dry of any information she might have that would further her chances of "getting hooked" with him.

Jenna Sandstrom (who had been completely besotted with Sirius until she had found him kissing Althea Savigne while he was _supposed_ to be in Madam Puddifoots with her) and of course Lily had tried to pry Mary away from this unhealthy obsession with little success- Mary was now only convinced that she was what "Sirius was looking for all along" and "his one true destiny" and crap like that. In disgust, Jenna and Lily had maintained a disapproving silence whilst Sirius was the topic of conversation.

It showed, extremely clearly, that Mary was head over heels in love with him, and it was only a matter of time until Sirius realized that he had another (extremely pretty) lovesick puppy stalking him. And if he asked her out, everyone knew what would happen. He'd treat her like an angel for a few weeks and then toss her aside for the next girl. Break her heart into a million pieces. Seriously, that boy was trying to get himself killed- over half the girls in seventh year were thirsting for his blood. Jenna included- Lily was just thirsting for his blood because he had destroyed most of her friends...and of course he was best friends with..._that._

Yes, _that _was now how she referred to the blemish on this earth known as James Gerald Potter. No, don't ask how Lily knew his middle name D: To her infinite embarrassment, someone (prizes for guessing who) had apparently spread the word that she, Lily Evans, fancied _him_. What was wrong with the world? Worse, infinitely worse, she had begun to blush every time the words "James" and "Potter" were uttered in her presence.

Okay, better question: what was wrong with HER? DD:

Lily had, with great effort and personal sacrifice, come up with a solution. She had to stop being "available". Sirius might have been an awful cheat...but she had to admit James was pretty honest. Or at least, tried to be the noble hero *nods* so if she was seeing someone else, it would cease the mutterings AND his stupid attempts to date her.

For once being your typical feisty redhead, she had tried to think of someone that would really...aggravate him. Sev was the first option that came to mind but no. No way. Right now she'd rather date a flesh eating slug than him. Or even James, which defeated the whole point anyway.

Okay, putting aside the Death Eater wannabes, who else was there? James didn't really pick on anyone besides them, really. In fact, the last prank any of that group had committed on any other student was Bertie Culpepper's nose, back in sixth year, right? No wait...the elephant ears. It hit her, a little reluctantly, that Caerwyn Elphinstone was the best option. And (in a remarkably similar event that the author may or may not have copied to one that would happen years later between her future son's two best friends) Lily decided to... unfortunately... choose the lesser of two evils.

Hurriedly snatching her patrol schedules from her bag, Lily steeled her nerves and determinedly shifted the prefects around. There, now Caerwyn's and her patrols, free times, etc- all coincided. Great. Wonderful. Absolutely lovely.

Fifth years had at the moment, if Lily was not mistaken, double transfiguration, so she waited nervously by the door to the classroom.

After an agonizing wait, the bell rung and all the fifth years trickled out in painstakingly slow and disordered fashion. Unluckily for Lily, Caerwyn happened to be rather short even for a fifth year, and it was quite a while after she spotted him among the riptide of hungry students heading to lunch. She grabbed his sleeve and pulled him out of the surge.

"What?" He grumbled, and Lily distinctly heard his stomach do the same. She'd better hurry up if she didn't want to starve him (although that might not have been a bad idea.)

"Soo...I was wondering..." Lily blushed, gulped, and then sternly reminded herself that she was the head girl. She could do anything. Anything. "...if you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with-"

She was interrupted midsentence by the sudden presence of a hand on her shoulder.

"There you are!"

Lily froze. She would know that voice anywhere. She heard it in her nightmares, in her darkest depths of despair... although she usually heard it at the lunch table when he was being rowdy with his friends.

"I seem to have misplaced my glasses so I followed your hair all the way down the corridor, or at least until I lost sight of it among all these... kids."

Lily didn't have to look up from her shined-to-perfection shoes to know he was firing that contemptuous look at Caerwyn. _That_ one. The one reserved especially for _her _boyfriends. (Okay, there had only been two and the last one had been a dare but STILL)

She vaguely heard Caerwyn's confused demanding to know what was going on, and James' icy replies. Lily stared at her shoes, her distorted reflection staring back. Why this? Why did he always have to ruin _everything?_

"Do us a favor, Lils," James said, taking his hand off her shoulder. "And lead the way to the Great Hall. I bet you anything Pad- Sirius has got my glasses there."

In spite of herself, Lily looked up at him. She had never seen him without his glasses, and he looked...different. But not... _bad_ different. Gentler, somehow.

Nervously, she took a deep breath, and her feet began to move her towards the Great Hall. Students parted respectfully for the Head Boy and Girl, excited whisperings that perhaps there was some kind of drama going on filling the corridors. Students clumped together, wondering why the school's biggest troublemaker and the perfect Miss. Evans were together. They wanted to see what was going to happen.

Lily just wanted to die.

**Hey, sorry for the delay.**

**Also, all Harry Potter fans over the age of 13 should join ?act=idx ...just sayin' ;)**


	6. Chapter 6: Compassion

Chapter 6: Be compassionate

_Author's Note: There is quite a large time gap between this one and the last. You have to kind of infer what happened between then, but what I'm trying to convey is that over time, her feelings have started to change. :3 Also, the past ones have been slightly comical, but this time I've tried to write a bit more seriously. Tell me what you think! _

When Lily set a rule down, she liked to hold to it. She didn't usually make exceptions- in fact, one out of her many rules in life was to not make exceptions. Today, however, she was making possibly the biggest exception of her life- Lily was sitting at the Place of the Damned. Or, the table where James, Sirius, and the James-and-Sirius-ettes sat. Trapped as if in a circle of jackals, her green eyes flicked from boy to boy, passing completely over Remus Lupin. Once, Lily would have been glad to have had Remus there- a fellow prefect, someone who respected order as much as she did- but she now knew better. Remus was just another of the pack, another one who would follow the leaders to whatever end. Once, she hadn't thought this way at all. Once, Lily and Remus had been friends.

_What had happened to her?_

Fingers gripping the table as if to crush it under the weight of her squeezing palms, Lily leaned forward so that her dark red hair fell in curtains around her face and- as intended- shielded her from view of the hungry animals outside. Nobody spoke. The Place of the Damned was silent, and with it, the Gryffindor common room was quiet. Uneasy. A low muttering filled the room, stares jabbed into the five seated together. Still, they didn't move. None of them did. Nobody knew what to do. Nothing but relentlessly, endlessly stared at one another through the clogged silence.

_What was she doing here? _

Fingernails dug into the firm wood of the table, eyes trained on the plate bereft of food. She wasn't hungry. She had never been less hungry in her life. All Lily felt was an internal crushing feeling, as if James Potter had taken her very soul and twisted it and knotted it into a complex pattern of his own. She wanted explanations. She wanted to know what he had done to her. Why, every time she passed him in the hall, every time his name was mentioned, every time, as it had so often been doing of late, the thought of him rose to the surface of her brain and floated there, suspended, why her cheeks turned brilliant red and no words would come.

She was the deer, trapped in a hunting circle, not of the boys, but of her own heart.

_What had she done?_

She didn't know anymore.

_The deer always knows the inevitable has to come, when surrounded by jackals. It has run its hardest, fastest, longest. Muscles torn and bloodied from the effort to escape the ordeal, head bowed and eyes shining bright with the dying hope but dull with weariness and the knowledge of what is approaching. The deer collapses, lungs straining to produce oxygen and stares long and hard at the jackal, telling it the battle is over. The predator has won. The predator has earned the meal. It is just. It is the way of the world. The deer submits, welcomes relief, but pleads with the jackal to make it quick and painless. The jackal does, with respect for its prey. It is over. The deer has given its final value to the earth. The feed can begin._

Lily felt a hot tear squeeze out of her eye and make its steady way down her cheek before dropping onto the table. Everyone saw it. Everyone's eyes were trained on the pearl shining on the tabletop- and then suddenly, the pearl rose into the air. Twisted itself into melancholy, unidentifiable shapes, turning, rising, and all the while remaining in one impeccable stream held together in crystalline perfection. And then, Lily saw what it was. A flower. A beautiful, solemn, elegant flower that at first did not register in the haziness of her mind- but at last, she knew.

A lily.

Barely able to believe her eyes, Lily reached to her neck and grasped the fine, cool chain she had, for an unknown reason, never taken off. Her fingers slid down the length and came to rest at the charm, a slim, silver lily. She held it out, not knowing why, and pulled. The chain snapped, and the broken necklace slid from her fingers and onto the table with a faint clink that was heard throughout the whole common room.

"I don't want this, James," Lily said, so softly that, even with ears straining and the deadly hush, nobody but the four boys could hear her. She couldn't look at James. She knew it was him creating the beautiful lily floating between them, but she had had enough. "And I don't want you. Whatever you're doing... to- to me, stop it."

The lily fell and splashed over the small table. Lily felt a small pang of regret for the destruction of such a beautiful thing, but she pushed it away. Carefully not looking at any of them, she stood up and walked through the gathered crowd towards the dormitories. Once the door to the stairs was closed behind her, she didn't continue up to her room but stood between the stairwells, the tears now pouring hot and fast and unstoppable. The world was a blur; she couldn't see anything, hear anything, think of anything but the reminders of what a fool she was to fall into such a trap so easily.

And then suddenly James was there. Lily knew it was him. She knew his smell as if she constantly breathed it in. As if the first gulp of air she had ever taken had been right by his side. And suddenly, without warning, without Lily knowing for a shining second where she was and what she was doing, his hand was in hers and his lips on hers, and he tasted sweet, sweeter than, if Lily had ever thought about it before, would ever have imagined.

And horribly, terrifyingly, wonderfully, Lily suddenly knew- _this was where she wanted to be._

Finally, he drew away, opened his mouth to speak, and Lily knew the answer before he even finished the question

"Lily... would you like to come to Hogwarts with me next weekend?"

"No Quidditch strategy discussions?"

"No Quidditch strategy discussions."

"None of your mates?"

"None of my mates."

"Just you and me?"

"Just you and me."

Lily hesitated. The weight of her world was on what she said next. All her life hung on this moment, the great divide, the crevasse, the canyon yawning in her life.

She opened her mouth.

Took a deep breath, the deepest breath that had ever entered her body, along with a whirlwind, a vortex, a medley of confused feelings smashing against one another, combining, colliding, fighting for control-

"Yes."


End file.
